Monday 27 April 2009

Cats and Computors








My cats have serious issues with my PC and my using it, and will use mostly any tactic to get in the way of my surfing, typing or reading. My older cat (Gemma) is 17 in a couple of months and has become even more clingier than usual. She adores cuddles, and will most often just plonk herself either on my chest, the laptop or on my hands. Either that or she just wants to feel the heat!! Bella on the other hand is still very kittenish at 2 years old, she still drags her blanket around everywhere and adores being tickled on the belly, very much like a dog. With the PC her mannerisms are very different to Bella's in that she'll attempt to sit on the laptop and refuses to budge. Worse still she's such a drooler, and it goes everywher, once she starts that's it. Puddles on the keys on my arms, and quite frequently she suckles my ear and drools down my neck. Now i'm told that they normally do that if they're taking away from their moms too early, and they should grow out of it when they're about a year old... i'm still waiting!!

Unfortunately my previous laptop didn't fair very well with the girls in that they became so jealous, Bella kept repeatedly headbutting the screen until it eventually fell off. Needless to say my insurance agent, had a good laugh and refused to pay. Fingers crossed this doesn't happen again!

Anyway a couple of pics to show you the lil tearaways.

Friday 24 April 2009

Nikon D50








Well, I've finally been ordered to relax and take some time off for a few weeks to get my blood pressure down to a more manageable level; lest I end up having a stroke! So with that in mind. I've had to learn how to chill out. Given that i'm one of those people with Type A personalities, i'm not quite sure how to relax. So my boss has set me work plan objectives on relaxing. She's advised me to read at least 3 books before I go back to work, to get a sun tan and chill out in the garden, to do some writing (which i've been extremely neglectful with for the last year), and to go out and take some pictures.

So, with my orders firmly in hand, I took a first tentative step and attempted to be a tourist for the day. As you can see from the snapshots with my Nikon D50 (200mm lens with UV filter), they're of the funfair and pier nearby. I seem to have this thing at the moment about wildlife, specifically ducks... i'll tell you about it some other time. I think the pictures came out quite good, and i've now got a telescopic lens which I hope to use when I go to Portugal in June. A whole week of swimming, chilling and drinking. Can't wait!!

Saturday 18 April 2009

Long time no post



















I can't believe it's been nearly a year since I posted here. To tell you the truth things have been exceptionally hectic, and i've barely had two minutes to do anything more than just sleep once work has finished.

After a health scare... or three, i've decided that I have to start making some changes to my life, which means having fun a lot more, and leaving as much stress behind me as I can. I miss the good old care free days when the only thing I had to worry about was if I should get up at 11am or 12!

With work as stressful as it is, and mom begging me to come home i'm finding myself more and more out of sorts. So to try and gain that bit of life that should be fun i've decided to get out a bit more and enjoy life. Even if it's little snatches here and there. With that in mind I got myself a new camera (well, Ebay new) and some zoom lenses and went down the road to test out my new camera. Some pics i've been surprised with, and thought they'd turned out really well, particular the close up shots. Others i've thought 'meh' I definately need more practice, but practice makes perfect. The other part of my buying a new camera was for the trip to Bedford in February to see that cast of Stargate SG1 and Stargate Atlantis. It was definately interesting for Joe I think when he realised Linzi and I were there for the cocktail party. I didn't think he'd remember me, but he did, and it was funny seeing him do a double take when he first saw Linzi.

So that was the first reason I bought the Nikon D50, the second reason was my love for cherry blossoms. I don't know why i'm drawn to them, but absolutely love the spring when they all come out and will finally get that tattoo on my ankle of the Japanese variety as opposed to the chinese version; primarily because they have two differing meanings. With mom still very poorly and deterioriating each day, she's not got much to look forward to, or to see given her bed ridden status and her being paralysed. So as she has little to no movement from the neck down, instead of simply being turned onto her back and seeing the ceiling, I want her to have a little piece of home. So once i've mown the lawn and the blossoms in the garden are out in full. I've arranged for my photo's of the garden (from start to finish) to be blown up to poster size and then arrange them on her ceiling. So the times when the nurses turn her on her back, she doesn't have to look at a blank ceiling. It's something at least. If anyone has any other ideas, i'm open to them.

I know I never posted my write up when I visited the set, but you can find all the details and some photos here. It's been so long since we went to the set, but I can still recall it with absolute clarity and fondness. I'll post some pics here of our trip to Canada and some shots I took today with my new camera if anyone is interested. Now that SGA has ended, I feel quite lost and empty and sad... good job I can look back at shirtless Shep and smile, grateful to Mr M for finally relenting and giving all us fangirls a long lasting squee moment. Let's hope we get some more when the movie comes out!

If anything this post was quite cathartic. Hope you enjoy the pics.